Courtroom drama as five plead guilty, then not guilty, to assaulting Liam Debono

Updated 5.05pm
Five young men charged with beating and whipping Liam?Debono?on Friday changed their guilty pleas to not guilty on Sunday during a court sitting flavoured by a touch of drama. They were granted bail.
An ambulance had to be called during the hearing when one of the accused - Kyle?Ellul, 20, from "abbar, fainted. He was taken out of the hall and was delirious on the floor in the corridor for minutes surrounded by family members.
The other accused -?Marlon, Baldacchino, 18, also from "abbar; Emerson Bugeja, 20, from Vittoriosa;?Tyson Bugeja, 23, from Marsa; and a 15-year-old from Cospicua who cannot be named by court order - tried to take him out of the court building but were stopped by the police.
All five, with Mr Ellul?breathing very heavily, were back in the courtroom for the hearing, in front of magistrate Gabriella Vella, to continue after about 30 minutes.
Lawyer Franco Debono, appearing parte civile, told the court that his client was ready to forgive his aggressors, but still wanted court proceedings to continue against them.
Sources said the accused's plea was changed after the legal aid lawyer Marita Pace Dimech realised that four would have had to...

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